Environmental River Enhancement Programme

The EREP is an Office of Public Works (OPW) funded project that is being co-ordinated and managed by IFI. The programme focuses on the enhancement of drained salmonid rivers in Ireland. These drained rivers are a result of a number of large and small scale arterial drainage schemes which were carried out, across the country, by the OPW since the 1940’s. While such works substantially reduced flooding in many areas and brought much benefit to agriculture there were unfortunately some negative impacts on fisheries, angling and on the river corridor habitat.

EREP began in 2008 and is initially a 5 year project. The programme involves two different approaches to enhancement, these being capital enhancement and enhanced maintenance respectively.

Selection of EREP Works Programme, 2008-2010

Capital enhancement allows for the importation of materials to selected rivers where enhancement works are to be carried out.

Enhanced maintenance works differ in that on-site materials are utilized and generally no new materials are brought in.

All enhancement designs are prepared by IFI and works are implemented by OPW. Monitoring of the enhancement works by IFI consists of carrying out pre and post works habitat assessments on representative river stretches with the resulting improvements being reported through the River Basin Management Plans (RBMP's) under the Water Framework Directive. In parallel, pre and post works biodiversity assessments at representative river stretches scheduled for development are also carried out. These include surveys of aquatic insects; river corridor vegetation and other dependent river corridor animals and birds as appropriate. The information gained from the monitoring will help identify those areas most at risk and establish if recovery post enhancement works is successful